7 Tips for Job Searching in Higher Ed When You鈥檙e Between Jobs
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Most working adults have found themselves unemployed at some point in their lives. When you're in it, it can be lonely and isolating, and the rejection can feel brutal. If you're going through your own job search right now, it's important to remember that you're not alone. Just about everyone has been there, and there are strategies you can use to make the experience a more positive and productive one.
Let's explore some helpful strategies for job searching and for weathering the unemployment storm while keeping your mental health intact.
Tip #1: Make the most of available networks and resources.
"Whether it is an interdisciplinary space like LinkedIn or the discipline-specific sites, associations, and job boards, you absolutely want to know what those are and track them to see what is happening," said Diana Kardia, PhD, a consultant and founder of the Kardia Group, LLC. Another resource that is just as important (if not more) is the relationships you've developed over the years. "Academia is a small town, and relationships really are significant," she noted. "It's through your relationships -- from grad school, through your mentors' network, and through co-publications -- that you are going to see much more of what [job and career opportunities] are out there."
Tip #2: Use AI thoughtfully.
Kardia sees the value of utilizing AI tools with your job search to strengthen your "clarity, knowledge, and ability to represent yourself." She called AI tools "useful" but stressed that they need to be used in the same way we used old-fashioned tools. She likened AI to borrowing a friend's CV and using it as a point of reference.
"It is fantastic because it gives you a road map," she noted. Yet, she cautions against the danger of going off track with it to the point where you're no longer talking about yourself. The most important thing, according to Kardia, is to "authentically and robustly represent yourself in inquiries, your CV, and your interview."
She noted that while it's helpful to understand the keywords AI systems look for, trying to keep up with the technology day to day can be a distraction. She cautioned against trying to game the system because, at the end of the day, the goal is not just to get the job. "It's about deepening your understanding of yourself," and spending too much time focusing on AI can take you away from that.
Tip #3: Be flexible and stay open to unexpected paths.
Kardia emphasized the importance of casting a wide employment net.
According to her, "There really is an immense variety of what [academics] can do." She believes most graduate students get a "distorted view" of what is possible because of, what she calls "the highly focused apprenticeship model," where .
"Many graduate students and faculty alike feel like it's somehow a betrayal to go outside that very defined path, but it's not," said Kardia. In her practice, she encourages job seekers to cast a wide job search net and explore alternative paths, roles, and to the ones they initially targeted.
Jason Lynch, PhD (an Associate Professor at Appalachian State University whose research deals extensively with the impact of trauma and stress in educational environments) agreed. Based on his own experiences of unemployment (and underemployment), he said, "In hindsight, my best advice is to hold your career goal loosely and assess 'why' you want a particular type of position. When you know your 'why,' you can begin to see alternative paths [to get you there]."
For example, Lynch suggested that someone interested in research might want to consider think-tank and government policy positions, as well as assessment-based positions.
Tip #4: Don't equate your self-worth with your job (or lack of one).
It took Lynch, who graduated from his PhD program in August of 2017, the better part of three years and over 100 job applications to secure his current faculty position. During this time, he experienced what he calls a "tidal wave of rejection" that left him feeling "weak and worthless." That feeling was only compounded when his own alma mater, where he had won an outstanding adjunct 四虎影视 award, rejected him for a faculty job without even giving him an interview.
"We are conditioned, particularly in higher education, to equate our self-worth and identity [with] the roles we have in academia," Lynch said. "However, this is so far from the truth."
During his job search days, Lynch's friends outside of academia helped him remember that he was more than his job title (or lack of one), and they helped him gain perspective by reminding him there is a whole world outside of academia.
We are not our jobs. That's important to remember during difficult job searches as well as during times of gainful employment.
Tip #5: Lean on your support network.
Social support is known to be one of the most . For Lynch, that support made all the difference. During his job search, which he described as "one of the hardest times" of his life, he relied heavily on his community. "Being open, honest, and vulnerable with [others] allowed them to understand the depth of my struggle and offer a safe place to land when I was hard on myself."
Being underemployed and without health insurance meant he couldn't afford counseling, which made the support from the people in his life that much more important.
Tip #6: Remember that it's not personal.
It's important to remember that although the rejection can feel personal, it's not.
"Faculty searches, and perhaps any job search in higher ed, are equal (if not more) political brokering than they are about your actual abilities or experiences," said Lynch.
Sometimes you can do everything right and still not be called for an interview because you don't have the specific expertise they are looking for or because you don't know the right people.
Lynch believes he was able to secure a job, in the end, through a combination of "the right time, with the right people, at the right institution. In other words, luck."
Bottom line -- while it's only natural to blame yourself when a job search isn't going well, it's important to remember there are many more factors at play than you could ever possibly know, so it's best to give yourself grace.
Tip #7: Sometimes you need to focus on meeting your basic needs (and there's no shame in that).
If there is one thing Lynch wishes he had done differently during his search, it would be shifting his focus to administrative roles sooner in the process.
"I kept putting off fully engaging in a job search for a staff position, leaving me vulnerable to basic-needs stressors such as affording rent or having health insurance. Had I had to do this over (and knowing that the outcome would have been the same), I would have prioritized securing a full-time staff position first."
Lynch went on to say, "I think had I not been so narrowly focused on securing a tenure-track position, I wouldn't have felt so deeply stuck."
, but sometimes a job that pays the bills can be a great stopgap until the perfect job comes along.
Final Thoughts
Job searches can be tough, especially when they drag on, so be kind to yourself and prioritize your mental health. Represent yourself honestly in your materials to ensure a genuine fit with your next employer, stay open to unexpected opportunities, and remember -- there's no shame in taking a temporary job to meet your needs.
